Guardian's Allowance

Guardian's Allowance (GA) is payable to you, if you are responsible for a child or young person but are not the parent of that child or young person you get Child Benefit for that child or young person and special circumstances apply to that child or young person.

GA is not payable if:

• The child or young person is legally adopted before the claim for GA is made, or
• A statutory or voluntary organisation is caring for the child or young person

Basic qualifying condition

GA is payable if the child or young person is living with you, or being maintained by you.

You can only receive GA if you are entitled to Child Benefit for that child or young person and:

• Both parents of the child or young person are dead
• One parent is dead and at the time of death the whereabouts of the other parent was and remains unknown, or
• The parents were divorced, one parent is dead and the other parent:
  • Did not have custody of the child or young person, and
  • Was not paying maintenance for that child or young person voluntarily, and
  • Is not liable for maintenance or custody under a court order
• The child's or young person's parents never married and the mother is dead and the father is not known, or
• One parent is dead and the surviving partner is in prison and serving an indefinite sentence or had one with at least 5 years of their sentence remaining at the time the other parent died.

One of the child's or young person's deceased parents must have been born in the Isle of Man, or lived in the Isle of Man for a total of 52 weeks in any 2 year period after the age of 16.

You must make your claim as soon as possible after the qualifying conditions are met.

Payment

You can be paid weekly using your MiCard at the Post Office, or we can pay it directly into your bank or building society account every 4 weeks.

See the Benefit Rates for further details.